Mighty Wings
by Silent Cartographer214
Summary: Its back after nearly a year!  The story takes a thrilling turn as Lana gets her own skimmer, and Cyclonian forces launch another attack on the heros!  What will happen?  Read on to find out!
1. 1 Hawks and Eagles

The Condor burst through the cloud, smoking in several places from Talon gunfire. Stork was madly throwing the huge airship through the skies, trying to avoid as much of the harmful crystal shots without tearing the Condor to pieces. "Ahh, this is not good! We're gonna get it this time!" the mad Merb cried. Finn shot past the bridge, upside down with his skimmer on fire. That didn't stop him from cackling with glee as he shot down another Talon trying to put the Condor out of action. Ravess and Snipe were trying to double team Junko, but he was holding his own, barely. The Dark Ace and Aerrow were in the middle of an epic duel and Piper was trying to get a shot at Ravess to help Junko out. It looked dire for the Storm Hawks, with the Condor falling ever lower, towards the wastelands, and yet more Talons circling above, ready to dive into the fray like vultures on a dying beast.

_Earth, Present day._

"Eagle 2-6, this is Eagle 2-lead. You are 40 miles off course, please come to heading 240 and increase speed to 600 knots." Growled the old squadron leader.

"Copy that lead, I hear you. My instruments are playing up. Could you give me a hand, help me fly outta this mess. It's a massive storm down here, and I can't see a thing." Came the female reply.

'Oh god,' the old man thought, 'I knew women pilots were a bad thing for the Air Force. And an Australian to boot!' The grizzled old veteran adjusted his helmet, and turned to the east to pick up his wayward pilot, like a bird teaching its offspring to fly. 'Damn this Bermuda weather!' He thought. "Eagle 2-6, I'm on my way. Wedgetail out."

"Copy that Wedgetail, Kookaburra maintaining this speed and heading."

That would be the last traces of the two pilots and their multimillion dollar F15 fighter jets anyone on earth would ever hear.

_The Wastelands._

Dust clouds blew at breakneck speeds across the broken landscape, and the charred remains of cruisers, airships and skimmers littered the ground. Into this mess descended the Condor, smoke billowing from nearly a dozen large holes. Junko saw the Condor heading down, and dived to stay with it. He didn't want to lose his home.

"This is it! She can't take anymore! I'm gonna die!" screeched Stork.

"Hold her, buddy! I'm trying to keep these Cyclonians off your tail, but you're flying all over the place!" replied Finn.

Even though Stork knew that one more hit was all he could take before he was doomed, he fought to keep the Condor above the horrible place, clinging to the hope that some miraculous event would save him and his beloved Condor. Lady luck was on his side today, and she provided just the event.

_The Bermuda Triangle._

The storm was only getting worse, and now both Wedgetail and Kookaburra were stuck in the middle of it. As they squabbled and tried to work out a way to escape the nightmare storm, they flew into the eye. As it calmed down, an eerie feeling descended upon them. "I've got a bad feeling about this..." Wedgetail proclaimed. They seemed to be the magic words, for suddenly a huge bolt of lightning stuck both his and Kookaburra's jets, sending them out of control! They both spiralled towards a small island, tumbling at great speeds. Just as they were about to hit, another lightning bolt stuck the island, transforming it into a shimmering portal of energy. Kookaburra hit the throttle. "Yeehaaa!!!" she screamed, as she hit the portal at mach 2.

Wedgetail groaned as his fighter spun towards the portal. "Amateur."

_The Wastelands_

Stork gasped as a huge tower of lava erupted _right in front_ of the Condor. "We're dead." Was all he could say before the most astonishing thing happened. Instead of flying straight into his imminent doom, the lava disappeared in a flash of blue light. As he brought his hands down from shielding his eyes, Stork saw two flaming _things_ burst out of the shimmering blue pool of pure energy. They shot straight up, past the Condor at speeds he didn't know existed.

"Whew..." Stork sighed. One crisis averted, far too many to go. That is, until the sonic boom hit him.

It nearly ripped the Condor apart, the shockwaves buckling the airship so violently it was pointed upwards towards the clouds. Every skimmer, Cyclonian and Storm Hawk, was sent spinning in every direction. Stork took this as his cue to floor it, and the Condor powered out of the wastelands, breaking free of the horrible place into the airspace of Atmos once more.

"Whatever that was, I hope it never happens again." Stork whimpered to himself.

Aerrow dusted himself off as he rose to his feet. "What in all Atmos was that?" He saw Radarr next to his crashed skimmer, trying to put it back on its wheels. "Easy buddy, here, let me help." The two of them managed to right the skimmer, and mounted it. "Ready to go find the others?" Aerrow asked his companion. Radarr nodded. Aerrow gunned his skimmer, and quickly hit a ramp like rock, taking to the skies. "Piper, Junko, Finn, Stork! Are you guys all right?" He called over the radio.

"Finn here, I'm ok. I've got Junko and we're coming up behind you."

"Aerrow, I've found the Condor, and I'll meet you there." Came Piper's voice.

"We made it." Was all Stork would say. Relief washed over Aerrow. His team was alright! As if to destroy his nerves, the Cyclonians returned.


	2. 2 Seek and Destroy

_Ok guys, here's chapter 2! I rewrote the last section of chapter 1 from the eagle pilots perspective, it should make more sense now. I forgot to add my disclaimer, so here goes. I do not own the Storm Hawks in any way, shape or form, but I do own Kookaburra and Wedgetail. Thanks to all those who have reviewed, and I should be updating every week._

* * *

**Chapter 2. Seek and Destroy.**

The two fighters screamed out of the portal, blasting past the Condor. "Roll left and level out!!" came the barked command from Wedgetail.

"Copy." Replied Kookaburra.

"Systems check! Make sure everything is working, and then let's find out why we aren't dead, and where we are!"

"Roger that, all systems are fine. Where the bloody hell are we anyways? All I remember is getting hit by lightning, then hitting some puddle of glowing blue light, and being here. Wherever here is..."

"Contact! 2 O'clock low, multiple bogies, radar says its 4 light fighters and a bomber. Let's see if the natives have radio...There!"

"This is Aerrow from the Storm Hawks, requesting assistance from any Sky Knight squadrons in the area! We are under heavy attack from Cyclonian forces! Anybody, please help us!"

"We'll go in for a pass Kookaburra, find out what each side has, and then contact these 'Storm Hawks' and see what the hell is going on here." Growled the old veteran, not liking his situation one bit.

Her radar lit up like a Christmas tree with contacts, nearly 50 of them! "Designate these new contacts Red Force and the first 5 as Blue Force. Follow me in as I make a run." Ordered Wedgetail. Kookaburra acknowledged his command, and pulled in behind his F15. They flew up behind Red Force, and as they came into view, the two pilots saw a huge squadron of Cyclonian skimmers chasing down the Condor. "Sir, I'm going to contact these 'Storm Hawks' and offer our help. These guys look like they're in lots of trouble!"

"Do it!" barked Wedgetail.

"Storm Hawks, this is F15 Eagle pilot Kookaburra offering assistance. I have another fighter with me, and we are behind your enemy. How can we help?" Kookaburra transmitted.

"You can help by blasting these Cyclonians out of the sky and saving our asses!" Came Finn's quick reply.

"Copy that Storm Hawks, I am engaging these Cyclonians now." Kookaburra calmly replied.

The Cyclonians never knew what hit them. Kookaburra fired her Vulcan cannon into the throng of Cyclonian skimmers, ripping the lightly armoured flying bikes to shreds and sending Talons plummeting to the depths below, saved only by their parachutes. One burst was all she fired, and was all that was needed. The remaining Talons broke ranks, diving after their comrades, and retreating in fear. Wedgetail and Kookaburra reformed, and flew up to the Condor. The Storm Hawks were flying in loose formation around it, and were astounded to see their saviour's aircraft. As each side looked at the other's rides, their disbelief grew. "Kookaburra, what exactly are you flying?" Piper asked over the radio.

"We are flying F15 Eagle fighter aircraft, built in the United States of America by the McDonnell Douglas company. What the hell are you guys flying?" came Wedgetail's confused reply.

"Well, I'm flying my heliscooter, and the boys are flying skimmers. Stork is the one flying the Condor, that's our carrier. You guys can't land on the Condor, you're too big.... We need to find you a place to land so we can talk. How much space do you need?"

"We need at least a thousand feet to stop, and about one and a half thousand feet to take off. And we're coming up on bingo fuel, which means about a third of a tank. That means we need to land, now." Kookaburra stated.

"Umm guys, we should probably get out of here before more Cyclonians arrive." Finn interjected.

"Good point. I know of a small terra that is reasonably flat, you guys might be able to land there...." Piper said.

"Lead on." Wedgetail replied.

About 10 minutes later, they had arrived.

"Ok, we're here. Can you land on that?" Piper announced.

"I'll make a pass first and check. Kookaburra, stay high and keep your eyes peeled." Wedgetail said. He put his fighter into a low dive, and headed straight for the terra. He angled his fighter to the left so that he could get a good view of the ground. It was as flat as a tack, maybe a bit rough, but it would do. He was getting low on fuel, and fighters don't glide well with a full missile loadout. He completed his pass and pulled up in a loop. "Yeah, it'll do. I'll put my bird down first, I'm more experienced than you at this sorta landing Kookaburra. Sorry, but don't take it wrong. I've been flying way longer." Wedgetail said. It hurt him to say it, as Kookaburra was an exceptional pilot, but she simply didn't have the experience to land on an uncharted airfield. "Copy that, I'll keep watch up here." Kookaburra replied. She knew what he meant, and understood it 100 percent. Wedgetail pulled out of his loop and lined up with the little terra. He set his flaps, extended his landing gear and had a perfect angle when everything went wrong. Wedgetail was about to land, and began to flare the nose of his fighter up when out of nowhere the Dark Ace appeared. He fired a single burst from his sword, hitting the big fighter just behind the cockpit. It had a disastrous effect on the different and alien metals. Circuits shorted out, starting fires throughout the F15 and causing Wedgetail to lose all control over his fighter. "Shit! I can't hold her!" he screamed.

"Eject! Eject!" Kookaburra shouted. "Get out of there!" Then, his right engine exploded. The fighter wobbled and spun into the ground, detonating in a huge fireball. "NOOOO!!!" Kookaburra screamed.

"Oh dear god......." Aerrow exclaimed. He watched the Dark Ace fly for home, racing to get out of range of the Condor's big guns. But he had no chance in hell of running from Kookaburra. She had a fighter capable of breaking the sound barrier twice, and she hit her afterburners, chasing after the fleeing talon. "You son of a bitch....You'll pay for that!" She screamed. She caught him in mere seconds, and switched to missiles. "I'm gonna blow your sorry ass out of the skies!" The lock on tone beeped in her helmet, and she squeezed the trigger. Nothing happened. "What?!!!?! Nooooo!!! I'll get you! You'll pay you bastard! I'll get you...." Kookaburra's screams gave way to tears of sorrow for her downed friend. She turned the F15 back to the terra, vengeance in her eyes.

She brought her fighter down, landing in the opposite direction to her fallen comrade, stopping her fighter a few metres from the flaming wreckage. She opened her canopy and nearly fell out of the cockpit on her way out. She fell to her knees, and let her tears fall. 'I was supposed to be watching his back! Why didn't my radar pick him up? Why hadn't I seen him? Why?' she thought. Finn was the first to reach her, and he did the first thing he thought of. He gently stood her up, wrapping her in a tight embrace. She sobbed, and began crying anew into his shoulder. "Hey, it's ok to cry. Let it out." He whispered to her. Piper and Aerrow landed together, and gazed over the horrible crash scene. "How did that go wrong? You saw what happened, right? It just, ploughed in and went boom. My god." Piper whispered to Aerrow.

"I don't know. But that bastard Dark Ace...Where did he come from?" Aerrow whispered back. "Will she be ok? I mean, we don't know anything about her, she might have been really close to that Wedgetail guy. Jeez, let's get onto the Condor, get her to a safe place."

"What about her fighter?" Piper asked.

"We'll hide it. Yeah it's big, but we can do it." Aerrow answered.

"Uhh, guys... Dark Ace is back, and he brought lots of back up! We gotta go now!" Junko shouted over the radio. Kookaburra heard this, and she looked up. "Where! I'm gonna blow him from the skies!" She demanded. "You're not going anywhere in your state. Finn, get her onto the Condor and keep her safe. Junko, buy us some time!" Aerrow ordered.

"You'll never hide it in time. We'll have to destroy it." Kookaburra sighed. "If I manually arm the missiles, we can set them off and completely destroy the plane."

"Then do it. We don't have any other options. I'm sorry." Aerrow replied. Kookaburra nodded, and hugged Finn once more before running off to her fighter. Finn looked at Aerrow, and shook his head. "Girls." he mouthed at his best friend. Aerrow smiled, and beckoned Piper to her heliscooter. They took off, and began circling, hoping to fend off the Dark Ace when he arrived. "Almost done!" Kookaburra shouted to Finn. Finn wondered what he was supposed to do, when she pointed at his crossbow. "You gonna use that pretty boy, or do I have to do it myself?"

"Oh, right. Get clear then!" He shouted back. She ran to his skimmer, and shielded herself behind it. She knew it was going to be a big bang.

Finn took careful aim at the closest missile. Breathe in, breathe out and hold. His aim steadied, and he gently squeezed the trigger. The shot hit the missile head on, and it detonated. One explosion turned into many, and the cascade of fire blossomed into the skies. The shockwave knocked Finn back into the skimmer head first, knocking him out. Kookaburra was a little bit shaken, but alright. She peered over the skimmer at Finn's limp body. 'Great,' she thought. 'My rescuer has gone and knocked himself out! Well, guess I'd better figure out how to work this thing then.' She walked around to his limp body, and heaved him up onto the skimmer. She then straddled the big machine, grabbing the handles. 'What now?' she thought. She gazed back at her ruined fighter, thinking of the starter checklist she ran before every flight. "Same difference." She thought aloud. She looked around, and found the starter button. She hit it, and the engine roared to life. She gave a chuckle, and kicked it into gear. She counted her blessings that she rode motorcycles back on earth. She pointed the bike towards the edge of the terra, and she gunned it. On the way, she thought about wings. 'Gotta be a lever or a switch here somewhere.... Ahh! There!' She hit the drop off, and yanked the lever. The bike transformed itself, retracting the front wheel and deploying the wings. Finn woke up with the sudden jolt, and wrapped his arms around her waist. "What the! Holy shit! Get us down now! You'll kill us both!" he screamed, but she laughed. She was in her own little world, immersed in learning to fly a skimmer. "So, motorbikes with wings! Great idea!" she cackled. She put the skimmer into a barrel roll, scaring Finn even more, before making a beeline for the Condor.

Piper, Aerrow and Junko saw the two of them heading for the Condor, and took that as their cue to leave. The three of them came in and landed smoothly, screeching to a holt in the Condor's hanger bay. "Umm, is that Kookaburra flying?" Junko asked. "Yep. Finn must've done something dumb, like get hurt." Aerrow replied. It was highly unlikely Finn would've let her fly. They watched as Finn shouted to Kookaburra to pull the lever again, and she did. The skimmer fell to the Condor almost perfectly, and Kookaburra pulled it up just short of Aerrow. Finn jumped off, and offered her his hand. "Welcome to our humble home, The Condor."


	3. Welcome to The Jungle, Baby!

**Chapter 3. Welcome to the Jungle, Baby!**

_Finn_

Everything was going smoothly, well, as smooth as it could when you get saved from the Cyclonians by some random aliens from I don't know where. They just showed up, like that! But their weapons are pretty cool, and their skimmers, well, they're not really skimmers, but more like a cross between a cruiser and a skimmer. But they're awesome! I so want one when this blows over. Yeah, anyways, they saved our bacon from those Talons but they couldn't land on the Condor. Piper and one of them managed to work out there was a little terra not that far away that they could land on.

One of them stayed up high, circling around and keeping watch whilst the other flew over the terra, making sure that it was all cool. Junko and I stayed up too, keeping a watch as well. We knew what to look for, and they didn't. The first alien plane began its landing run, and it looked like an eagle about to snatch its prey. Hah, that's funny, I'm pretty sure that they called their planes F15 Eagles. And that was about when the shit hit the fan.

The Dark Ace showed up out of nowhere, and before I could take a shot or even warn the others, he took a shot at the alien plane and hit it just behind the driver's seat. Sparks and explosions ripped through the plane and it pretty much just blew up and crashed into the terra. It was freaky man, this thing just ripped itself to shreds, with bits of metal flying everywhere. The Dark Ace turned tail and ran, he knew he was just faster than us. I looked up and saw the other plane turn towards him and then it just _flew _at him. I mean, the glow from its engines went from a deep orange to a deadly, vengeful light blue. And this thing shot across the sky at Dark Ace, I swear, like one second it was with us and the next second it was _right behind the Dark Ace._ And then, nothing happened. WTF?!?!?!!!! Sadly, I saw it let the Dark Ace get away as it turned slowly back towards us. Maybe its weapons were broken? The plane came around to the other end of the terra and landed, stopping just short of the burning remains of the other plane. I had to see this pilot up close, this guy would need some help. I mean, he just watched his comrade get blown to smithereens......

***.)0(.***

I brought my skimmer in, dropping it to the ground with a thud, skidding to a stop a safe distance away. _'Whoa, dude...'_ I thought, '_This guy is full balling his eyeballs out.......Wait, that's a _chick_??? Oh man, this could get awkward.'_ I ran over to her and did the first I could think of, lifting her up as gently as I could and wrapping my arms around her. She needed the comfort, even from a complete stranger. She hugged me so tightly, it must have struck a really raw nerve with her, so I whispered in her ear, "Hey, it's ok to cry. Let it out." Piper and Aerrow landed next to us, and began whispering something to each other. Then Aerrow said something about it being big, but we could still hide it. He must have been talking about this chick's ride. Suddenly, the radio on my ride crackled into life. "Uhh, guys... Dark Ace is back, and he brought lots of back up! We gotta go now!" came Junko's distorted voice. The girl heard this, and she looked up. "Where! I'm gonna blow him from the skies!" She demanded.

A familiar and bossy voice answered her back. "You're not going anywhere in your state. Finn, get her onto the Condor and keep her safe. Junko, buy us some time!" Aerrow ordered.

"You'll never hide it in time. We'll have to destroy it." She sighed. I felt her tremble as she said her next sentence. "If I manually arm the missiles, we can set them off and completely destroy the plane."

"Then do it. We don't have any other options. I'm sorry." Aerrow softly replied. I could hear the disappointment in his voice, and I could practically _feel_ Piper's sadness at its destruction. I'll bet she wanted to study it... I reckon it would be cool to just_ fly_ in it! She nodded to Aerrow, and hugged me once more before running off to her plane. Aww man, now I'll never get a chance to fly in it! I looked over at Aerrow, and shook my head. "Girls." I mouthed at my best friend. Aerrow smiled, and beckoned Piper to her heliscooter. They took off, and began circling, probably hoping to fend off the Dark Ace when he returned.

"Almost done!" The crazy chick shouted at me. 'What am I supposed to do?' I thought to myself, when she pointed at my crossbow.

"You gonna use that pretty boy, or do I have to do it myself?" she demanded.

"Oh, right. Get clear then!" I shouted back. She ran to my skimmer, and shielded herself behind it. Something told me I should be worried about that, but I am the Finnster. I can handle anything. I took aim at the closest missile, and fired. A direct hit! I saw it explode in an awesome way, and then the shockwave hit me._ 'Oh man, _that _was what she was worried about....' _I thought as I was knocked backwards. And then everything went black.

I woke up with a jolt. '_Oh shit, we're flying!' _my mind screamed. I grabbed onto her waist. "What the! Holy shit! Get us down now! You'll kill us both!" I screamed, but she just laughed at me. She was in her own little world, learning to fly my skimmer. "So, motorbikes with wings! Great idea!" she cackled. Then she put the damned thing into a barrel roll, nearly knocking me off. I was so NOT scared! She must have had a brainwave, 'cause then she made for the Condor.

I shouted to her to pull the lever again to land, and she did. My skimmer fell to the Condor almost perfectly, and she stopped it in front of Aerrow. I jumped off, and offered my hand. "Welcome to our humble home, The Condor." She took my hand and graciously stepped onto the Condor. I began to lead her towards the bridge. WE so had so many things we all needed to know. I looked at Aerrow, and he nodded. He knew what we had to talk about. The rest of the Storm Hawks followed me and the girl.

We all sat down around the table, and Aerrow began. "My name is Aerrow, and this is my squadron, the Storm Hawks. That's Junko, Piper, Finn, Stork and my co-pilot Radarr. The guys you saved us from are the Cyclonians. They're the bad guys here in Atmos. They are led by Master Cyclonis and the Dark Ace. He's the guy who shot down your wingman. Any questions so far?"

"Just one," she replied, "How do I get one of these skimmers? The Dark Ace is going to pay."

"Umm, we should probably get you back to your own world. You know, to your family and stuff..." Aerrow babbled. HAH! This new chick is gonna show Aerrow up and beat the Dark Ace!

She locked eyes with Aerrow, and began to speak slowly to him. Her eye's shone with a fire I've never seen before. "I have no family. They were killed in a terrorist attack nine years ago. I lived, and joined the Air Force to honour them and avenge their deaths by wiping the terrorists from the face of the earth. I succeeded in that task, we drove those bastards from Afghanistan and into the hills. Wedgetail was like a second father to me... And this Dark Ace will pay. I will have my vengeance."

I looked at her, and memories began to stir. "The Cyclonians raided our terra when I was just a kid. They killed my parents, with no mercy. That's why I'm a Storm Hawk. Piper's family too. The Dark Ace personally betrayed and killed Aerrow's family. His mother was killed in the same raid that killed my parents. We all know your pain, and that's why we are fighting against Cyclonia." As I finished, she began to cry. Maybe it all just hit her then, but she just broke down. Piper grabbed her into a hug, rocking her back and forth. When she had stopped crying, she looked up at Aerrow.

"Aerrow, I request permission to join your squadron, The Storm Hawks. I want to help you guys."

Aerrow smiled, and replied "Well, we could do with some extra help, and I'm sure Piper would love having another girl on board... Welcome to the Storm Hawks. But on one condition."

"What's that?" she shot back.

"You tell us your real name Kookaburra." He stated.

"It's Lana."

**Chapter 4. The Razor's Edge.**


	4. Now I'm Here

_First person to review and name the band that plays the song that has the same title as this chapter gets a minor OC named after them in the next chapter. Also, this one panned out differently to what I had planned, but it works, so I've stuck with it. Hint: This band's drummer has something to do with Thomas the Tank engine. Good luck LOL!_

**Chapter 4. Now I'm Here.**

_Lana_

I stared into Aerrow's green eyes, full of compassion. I could see why he was their leader, with his charm and caring. I squeezed Piper, and we let go of our hug.

"Thanks" I whispered.

"No problem, we all need a hug sometimes..." She whispered back.

"Junko, if you could set up the spare room for Lana, that would be great. Finn?" Aerrow asked.

"Yo dude, whatcha need me for?" Finn lazily replied as Junko headed off to get my new room ready.

"Can Lana borrow your spare skimmer until we can get her one of her own?"

"Aww man, c'mon, I need that for the _next_ time I get shot down...." Finn whined. Maybe this kid wasn't as cracked up as he makes out...

"It'll just be until we can get to a friendly terra and buy one for Lana. Piper, where is the nearest friendly terra anyway?"

"Hmm, just let me recheck the maps again..." Piper pondered as she walked over to the chart table. "Well, We're about 3 days from Atmosia, but there is a small terra called Terra Viejo that has a refuel and repair station about 2 hours away. Nothing else judging by the maps.... Or we could turn around and head to Terra Saharr, but that takes us away from Atmosia, which is where we should be going."

"OK, so does anybody have a problem with the refuel and repair place then? There will probably be a sky worthy skimmer or two that we can bargain something for. No objections then? Right! Piper, set our course for Terra Viejo!"

"Uhh, do we even know what possible dangers wait for us on this terra? We could be doomed before we even set foot on it..." the guy called Stork chanted out from the helm. What a downer, but he could be right.....

"Don't worry about it Stork, we always manage to end up ok even if something bad happens. We're the Storm Hawks, we always win!" Aerrow said. "Finn, prepare the skimmers. Piper, you can stay here on the Condor and keep a lookout for us. Let Junko know when he comes back that he can come with us. I'll give Lana a tour of the Condor."

And with that, the red haired boy whom I had just joined led me away into the bowels of the ship.

***.)0(.***

"...And that's Piper's lab/room. It's a no go zone, unless you know exactly what every crystal in the Atmos does, or if Piper is with you. This one time Finn snuck in there and did some pretty major damage..." Aerrow stopped and shuddered. "It was nasty. VERY nasty. So, what did you think of the little tour?"

"Well, nice ship and all, but I'd like to get changed out of my flight suit if you have any spare clothes. It's very baggy and I don't like wearing it when I'm not in a fighter." I replied. Aerrow smiled sheepishly and looked at me with puppy dog eyes. I've seen that look before...and I don't like it.

"Well, we kinda don't have any spare clothes right now. They sorta got blasted in our last battle..."

"Right, so I'll just have to get some when we land then. And stop with the puppy dog eyes, they ain't gonna get you anywhere. You're supposed to be the fearless leader, so don't try and pull stunts that are out of your league. Just so you know, I'm out of your league." I quipped. That ripped the smile off his face.

'_That's what you get for flirting on the first day, moron_' I thought. Besides, even though he was a bit goofy, I like that Finn guy a lot more than Aerrow. Maybe I'm just drawn to surfer dudes. Hmm, that's probably because I was raised on the Gold Coast of Queensland, Australia, swimming in the beaches when I wasn't indoors.

"You know, I think Junko might be finished fixing up your room by now..." Aerrow glumly said. Ohh, guess I really hurt his feelings then...... We walked up to my new room, and Aerrow opened the door. "Here you go. Your own room on the Condor. Your new home." I squealed with glee and ran in and jumped onto the bed.

"It's really comfy, cool!" I chirped. Aerrow smiled, like a parent watching their kid walk into the surf for the first time. I had a window, a bed (obviously!), a set of drawers and a small dressing table with a mirror. Where the hell these things had come from was uncertain, but who cares! My own room! I looked at myself in the mirror, and my heart dropped. What had happened to my face? I screamed, and Piper and Finn came running.

"I'm not supposed to be 17! I am 24 years old! NO! I have pimples again! ARRRGGGHHHH!"

_Finn_

We were all gathered around the table in Piper's lab. "Well, she is A-OK, nothing wrong with her as far as I can tell. She's just _de-_aged a few years, that's all." Piper explained.

"Noooooooo.... I have to go through pimples again, and... and... and..."Lana moaned before fainting. Junko looked at Aerrow, who nodded, and the big guy gently picked her up. "I'll put her in her room." He said. As he took his first step though, Lana bolted upright in his arms.

"What the? OH! It's Junko right?"

"Yep, at your service!"

"I'm fine Junko, can you put me down please?" Lana asked. My buddy nodded and set Lana down. She walked over and punched me in the arm. "Oww, what was that for?" I whined.

"Giggling like a girl. That's my job." She said as she giggled at me.

'_Damned girls!' _I thought to myself. I watched Lana walk off towards her room, and I followed her. Girls don't hit guys and tease them. Maybe that was some sort of ritual where she came from..... I have to get to know her better.

_Lana_

I needed some time alone, so I went to my room after punching Finn. He was more of a girl than I was! As I turned the corner into my room though, I saw him following me from a distance. Damn it! I knew that I wouldn't be able to get any peace and quiet with him asking questions about me. I turned again and made for the hanger. I noticed that Finn was still following me. _'Let him follow this.'_ I thought.

"Hey Finn, I'm borrowing your spare skimmer for a flight. I want to test it, see what it can really do, 'kay?"

"Hey, don't break it! I might need it!" the boy whined back.

"Don't worry, I'm a competent pilot, I've got over 500 hours logged in fast moving jets. You're little baby will be safe with me!"

"Aww c'mon, that's just plain mean dude."

I straddled the skimmer, feeling slightly awkward on it. I was used to my Harley Davidson chopper back home. These skimmers were meant to be ridden like sports bikes. Bugger. I started the engine, revving it loudly.

"What was that? I can't hear you!" I shouted as I let the clutch out and screamed down the runway, blasting off the end at top speed. I deployed the wings and soared away, feeling the thrill of the wind in my face and the sky beneath me. I let my thoughts fall away, and I was free for the first time in what felt like years.


	5. Hell Ain't A Bad Place To Be

**Chapter 5. Hell Ain't A Bad Place To Be**

_Lana_

The cool air blasted past my face as I flew lazily around the Condor. I was actually surprised that Finn hadn't followed me out, but that didn't bother me. It was peaceful, listening to the roar of my skimmer and the deep thrum of the Condor's engines. I could fully relax out here, with no worries, and no cares. Well, until the Cyclonians next attack us. I laughed, as I realised that I had been teleported to another world, and all that had changed was the Squadron I flew in. And that another person close to me was dead. "I will catch you Dark Ace, and I will kill you. Slowly." I said to the wind. As if was listening to me, the skies began to darken, and the wind picked up. I glanced around, and spotted the cause of the change. Chasing us was the Dark Ace, and a whole compliment of Talons. "Thanks." I whispered to the wind as I turned my skimmer around and shot towards the Cyclonian armada.

_Finn_

"Yo Aerrow, have you seen this chick fly? She's nearly as good as you!" I called out to the boss-man.

"Yeah, I can see it. She is one good pilot. She'll be good to have around, maybe she'll be able to save you from getting shot down all the time." Aerrow retorted.

"Aww, that's harsh man! I can fly ok!"

"Yeah, but that's never enough is it?" Aerrow said, laughing at me.

"Hmph. Say what you want man, but the Finnster can handle it. Hey whoa, check out the clouds! We've got a storm coming up, maybe we should call her up and get her back in..."

Suddenly alarms went off and Stork turned to face us, his eye twitching. "We're being followed. BY CYCLONIANS!" the mad Merb screamed.

"Everyone, to your rides!" Aerrow shouted at us. We all bolted for the hanger as shots began to hit the hull. I was the first to get to my skimmer, and I jumped on and started it, revving it. I let the clutch out way too fast, and I skidded out of the hanger just as the others got on their skimmers. I looked up as I began to take off, and I saw two Talons being chased by Lana. She opened fire, hitting one of them, who crashed into the second one. They both shot towards the hanger, and ME! I gunned it, and shot off the runway as the Talons crashed onto it. They skidded towards the rest of the squadron, cleaning up Aerrow, then Junko and Piper. It was a huge pile up! _'Oh MAN! It's just me and the new girl... DAMMIT!'_ I thought as I joined the fight.

_Lana_

I fired a burst at the Talon in my sights, and I hit him. He spiralled into his wingman, and they both crashed onto the runway of the Condor. I watched in horror as they caused a pileup on the runway, getting Aerrow, Junko and Piper. Finn was already taking off, so at least I had one Storm Hawk to help me... Oops. I banked left and fell in behind a Talon trying to get Finn. I opened fire and shot him down, sending the switchblade into the abyss. Finn never noticed, and sped into the fray, firing at the Cyclonians as he went. By my count, there were about 25 Talons still flying, including the Dark Ace. Another Talon decided to play chicken with me, flying headfirst at me. I grabbed the lever to retract my wings, and I flicked the skimmer up whilst I pulled the lever. My wings retracted, and the skimmer's front wheel appeared. I grinned as I felt the skimmer's back wheel hit the switchblade on the nose and my front wheel bounced down to land on the back it. I pulled the lever again as the switchblade fell, minus its Talon. I looked down, satisfied to see a parachute. Then, out of nowhere came the Dark Ace. He blasted past me, intent on shaking Finn, who was raining shots on him. "YEEEEEAAAAAAAAHHHH!" The blonde screamed as he shot past me. I shook my head and lined up another Talon. I shot his left wings off, and watched another Cyclonian minion deploy his parachute. I looked around, trying to find the Dark Ace and Finn. I looked up, and I found them. The Dark Ace was flying a scissors pattern, chopping in and out, and Finn was following. I knew what was going to happen, and the Dark Ace did it. He slammed on his brakes, and as Finn shot past he slashed with his sword. The front half of Finn's skimmer dropped away as Finn bailed from his half. "Amateur..." I mumbled as I flew under him to catch him. With a thud, the blonde idiot landed just in front of my windscreen. "Owwwww..." He groaned.

"Just thought you'd drop in, eh?" I smirked at him. "Get on the back, pretty boy." He nodded, and grabbed onto me as he swung himself around to sit behind me. "You alright?" I asked him. He did look a bit pale... But he nodded at me, so I figured he must be ok. "Good, hang on, and I'll find myself a new ride."

"You mean you're gonna take a Cyclonian ride?" Finn asked.

"Well, if you wanted me to stay, all you had to do was ask!" I replied as I jumped off. I sure hoped that my timing was right...

_Finn_

She just bailed on me! No warning, no clue. She just said "Well, if you wanted me to stay, all you had to do was ask!" and jumped! The kid was as nuts as Aerrow, jumping off skimmers mid-air. At least Aerrow had Radarr to catch him! I jumped forwards and grabbed the controls of my spare skimmer, looking down for Lana. I couldn't see her parachute, so hopefully that was a good sign...

"Who ya looking for, pretty boy?" Lana shouted at me as she appeared, riding a Cyclonian switchblade.

"You! Don't you ever do that again! Not cool man!" I shouted back.

"Why not? It was kinda fun! Anyways, get going! There's still lots of Talons still in the air! I'm going after the Dark Ace." She said as she rolled into a cloud. I sighed and gunned it, rejoining the battle. Talons were diving on the Condor, firing as they went. I could see the Condor shooting back, so the others must be on the guns then. I dived in after a Talon, shooting him down with two shots. I rolled under the Condor, shooting at another Cyclonian. He dived into a bunch of clouds, and I gave chase. I stuck to the cloud, and popped up after a minute. The Talon was stupidly looking around for me, but I came up right behind him. "Take a dive!" I shouted to him as I fired. His skimmer dropped out from underneath him, and he fell until his parachute deployed. I came up from underneath the Condor and saw the rest of the Talons on the retreat! We had won! But how? I saw a single switchblade flying in towards the Condor, and I flew up to it. Lana was sitting triumphantly on it. I fell in alongside her and grinned at her. "We did it!" I yelled.

"Yeah! We did! Let's go home!" Lana yelled back.

"Finn to Condor. Don't shoot the lone Switchblade! Lana is riding it." I radioed in. The radio cackled as Aerrow replied. "Got it. You guys are good to land. Good Job!" I banked downwards to the Condor, landing smoothly and stopping inside the hanger. Lana came down almost perfectly, flaring gently as her rear wheel touched the landing strip and retracting the wings at the same time. The Switchblade's front wheel extended and she braked, slowly coasting into the hanger and parking next to me. "Duuuuuuuude. Niiiiiice!" Was about all I could say. Apart from Aerrow, I had never seen anyone, and I mean ANYONE, handle a skimmer like that. Lana got off her switchblade, and bowed. "Thanks Finn. I can tell there is a difference in these two bikes though. Yours is lighter and more manoeuvrable, but these Cyclonian bikes are heavier and slightly faster. You can have your skimmer bike back, I'm keeping this bad boy. What'd ya call it? A Switchblade, was it?"

"Yep. Well, I guess this means we don't have to buy you one now. We will have to repaint it though..." Aerrow said as he walked into the hanger, the rest of the Storm Hawks following him. "Our skimmers on the other hand..." He sadly moaned as he motioned to the pile of wrecked skimmers in the back of the hanger. "So... How did you beat off the Dark Ace?" he asked.

_Lana_

Aerrow asked me how I beat the Dark Ace. I wondered if I should tell them about my ace in the hole. Yeah, I pretty much had too. "I need to show you how I did it. Could we go up to the table in the bridge? I need a table to show you how. Don't ask questions, just follow." And with that, I led my new squadmates to their table in the bridge. Once we were all there and assembled, I began to point to my flight vest and harness. "This is my flight gear. In it is a huge amount of survival gear and some energy bars and the like." I then drew my service pistol and held it up for the Storm Hawks to see. "This is my pistol. It is a gun. It's similar to the cannons on your skimmers, but it doesn't fire energy, it fires bullets. These bullets pack a huge punch, and are designed to punch through light metal. Basically, each bullet is a lead tip that is fired down a barrel by exploding gases in the case. That's the gold part, the case. There is gunpowder in it. I defeated the Dark Ace by shooting his engine. The bullet pretty much shredded the light and weak metal you guys use. I WARN YOU NOW. This is a very dangerous weapon. NONE OF YOU are to touch it unless I say so. It is deadly in the extreme. This pistol is death if you shoot yourself with it." As I finished, I could see Finn and Piper just about drooling with anticipation over studying and using my pistol. Aerrow looked concerned for everyone's safety, and rightly so. Junko and the scared pilot dude, I forget his name, they looked at it as if it were going to explode and kill them any second. I safed the pistol and holstered it. Piper was the first to speak. "Could you teach me how that works? We could finally have a new weapon and the edge against Cyclonia! It just seems so ... powerful!"

"When we get to this small Terra, yes, I will show you. But I only have a limited number of bullets."

"AWESOME!" Piper squealed in glee.

"Ok guys, is it cool if I get some sleep before we touch down? I'm buggered from all the flying and fighting. It's been one helluva day." I asked.

"Sure, go right ahead. I don't know how you're coping with all this. If that were me, I'd be pretty shaken up." Aerrow said to me as I stood up. I smiled at him as I turned to find my bed. "I'll live. But the Dark Ace is mine. I don't care how it's done, but we will beat him, and I will execute him for his crimes. For Wedgetail." I left them there, pondering who I really was and what I would do. I didn't really care. I needed sleep...


End file.
